Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Chief Executive John Lee today said that the package of 11 measures designed to promote local fertility rates aims to help remove hurdles for couples wishing to bear children, stressing that the policies were made realistically according to the local situation.
Elaborating on his Policy Address at a press conference this afternoon, Mr Lee explained that he had considered different groups of couples in formulating the measures. Among them, he respects the choice of those who plan to remain childless.
“For those who have made up their mind not to bear any child, I think no matter what we try to (do to) help, the effect will not be significant,” he said.
For couples who want to bear a child but face difficulties for medical reasons, Mr Lee stated that the Government tries to help them by medical means. He laid out in his Policy Address that the Hospital Authority will increase the service quotas of in-vitro fertilisation treatment to 1,900 treatment cycles per year in phases over the next three years.
Other measures proposed include increasing the newborn baby bonus for the second or subsequent child born from $20,000 to $30,000 for a period of three years.
The standard annual tax allowance for a second or subsequent child will rise from $140,000 to $160,000. Additionally, the temporary top-up allowance granted during the first two years following childbirth will see a matching increase to $160,000.
Mr Lee explained these measures are to help those families who already have one child as it will be much easier to encourage them to have a second child. The Chief Executive also noted that a large number of couples have not made up their mind due to apprehensions, and the Government is there to help them to make the decision.
“It is sometimes due to lacking the opportunity to take care of the child when he or she is born. We will try to help with facilitation and with some tax concessions, plus some cash bonuses.
“When they want to have better accommodation, we will help them to buy a flat as much as we can.
“Basically, it is a package and we have to be realistic to make our policy in accordance with the local situation,” Mr Lee added.
Those new measures include granting eligible families who purchase a residential property within the period of one year preceding or two years following the birth of a child a stamp duty waiver of up to $20,000. The maximum mortgage loan-to-value ratio for White Form family applicants with newborns will be raised to 95% starting from the next Home Ownership Scheme sales exercise.
To alleviate child care challenges, the Government will set up three more aided standalone child care centres, which are expected to provide around 1,800 additional day care places for children under the age of three by the end of 2030. Furthermore, the School-based After School Care Service Scheme will be regularised starting from the 2027-28 school year, and professional support for the After School Care Programme for Pre-primary Children will be strengthened.
The $20,000 newborn baby bonus for the first child will also be extended for another three years.